​Skip The Supplements—Here Are The Best Foods To Eat Instead

There’s a lot of good research backing the health benefits of some supplements.

The problem: While the pills used in scientific studies are carefully tested for quality and dosage accuracy, most consumer OTC supplements are largely unregulated, says Mark Moyad, MD, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan. (Ever get prescribed a drug off-label? Here's what that means.)

Moyad explains that few people are checking to make sure your OTC pills are free of heavy metals and other harmful contaminants. There's even less oversight when it comes to ensuring the pills you’re taking contain the types and amounts of nutrients listed on the label.

"When you're taking a pill, you're also taking a lot of not-natural stuff that’s in that pill—stuff like herbicides, pesticides, hormones, the stuff in the capsule or shell itself, allergens, and even sand, which is used as a stabilizer," he says.

"Especially when you see so many of these supplement nutrients are available in food, to take a handful of pills is a crazy," he says. "If you look at the world's so-called blue zones where people live longest, they tend not to take any pills at all."

Here, he offers dozens of foods that ably stand in for supplements we tend to buy. Unlike a supplement, you can't eat a specific amount of these to ensure a benefit. But by packing your diet with these foods, you'll bolster your health without the dangers supplements pose.

Take them for: Eye healthThe details: Multiple studies, including a 2015 paper in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, have linked these two compounds to improved retinal health and lower rates of age-related macular degeneration—a major cause of vision problems and loss.The foods: Kale, spinach, and eggs—including the yolks. "These compounds are fat-soluble," Moyad adds. Eat them with avocado or olive oil, and the healthy fats in those foods will help your body absorb more of these nutrients, he says.

Take it for: Preventing runaway inflammationThe details: “This is basically aspirin in its natural source, and people are always surprised when I tell them they can get it from food,” Moyad says. Research in Molecular Medicine finds salicylic acid appears to fight pain by controlling inflammation, which might also explain how a low-dose aspirin helps some men avoid heart trouble.The foods: Asparagus, nectarines, and the spices turmeric and paprika

Take it for: Digestive healthThe details: "Insoluble fiber is like a broom that sweeps out your digestive tract," Moyad says. "It may even carry carcinogens with it." He says the fiber you'd get from a powder supplement tends to be soluble, which isn't nearly as helpful.The foods: Beans, seeds, lentils, and bran

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The Nutrient: Theanine

Take it for: Reducing stress and enhancing calmThe details: This amino acid had been linked time and again to lower rates of anxiety and stress, Moyad says. One 2015 study also found it may sharpen thinking and improve mood, though exactly how it works isn’t well understood.The food: Green tea

Take it for: To prevent muscle and joint soreness, headaches, and migrainesThe details: "There's a lot of study going on and many potential mechanisms, but in short it just seems to normalize muscle and cell function in a lot of ways," Moyad says.The foods: All legumes (beans, peas, lentils, etc.), along with pumpkin and squash seeds. In fact, here are the 10 best sources of magnesium.

Take it for: Strong urine flow and prostate healthThe details: "When you see the prostate supplement commercials making all these health claims, beta-sitosterol is the thing providing all those benefits," Moyad says. "You can get pretty large amounts of it from some incredibly healthy food sources."The foods: Plant oils, pistachio nuts, sesame seeds, and avocado

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